Acronyms nixed by Contra Costa County supervisors By MATT KAPKO Bay City News Service June 22, 2005 MARTINEZ The language of politicians and bureaucrats - such as EIR for Environmental Impact Report or RFP for Request for Proposal - has become a mainstay at government meetings. But the alphabet soup and incessant acronyms that routinely bog down the public's understanding of government may be a thing of the past, or will at least cost $1 a pop in Contra Costa County. The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors yesterday voted 5-0 to adopt a new policy that urges all supervisors and county employees to refrain from using acronyms when referring to the multitude of government agencies and procedures that the county deals with. If a supervisor or county employee reverts to his or her old ways and uses an acronym or abbreviation, they will be asked to voluntarily donate $1 to a charity of the board's choosing. The policy also refers to all written materials and agenda packets. "I believe this practice will make the workings of government easier to understand,'' said Supervisor John Gioia, who introduced the policy to the board yesterday. "The goal is to encourage all presentations by county staff to the board to be acronym free,'' he said. "If we get through a meeting without using acronyms or abbreviations, I'll donate $10 to charity,'' he said. In Washington, the Kitsap County Board of Commissioners adopted a similar practice earlier this year. Home